Quick change mop holder with outer hinged jaw



Aug. 25, 1959 w. E. KAUTENBERG 2,900,652

' QUICK CHANGE MOP HOLDER WITH OUTER HINGED JAW Filed Nov. 28, 1955 NVENTOR.

Ma/aw United States Patent QUICK CHANGE MOP HOLDER WITH OUTER HINGED JAW7 William E. Kautenberg, Free'port, lib, assignor to W. E.

This invention relates in general to a mop and is more particularlydescribed as a mop with a screw type clamping head for receiving one ormore cotton mop heads.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mop which has abail looped and firmly attached at its inner end and open at the outerend for the insertion and removal of mop heads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mop with a cross barat the outer end of the bail fastened at one end and adapted to beopened at the other end for the admission and removal of the mop heads.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a triangularsupport for the inner bent end of the bail which also is engaged with amop handle and to firmly attach the socket parts in engagement with thebail.

Other objects of the invention will appear-in the specification and willbe apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mop in accordance with this inventionwith one of the socket plates removed and with parts shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the mop as taken at one edge of Fig. 1but with both socket plates in place; and

Fig. 3 is an outside elevation of one of the socket plates.

In a mop supporting head of this type, it is difiicult to secure the mopholding frame or bail at the end of a handle or mopstick without itsbecoming loose so that the bail may twist more or less and get out ofalignment. Also in most mops of this kind, it is difficult to quicklyattach and remove the cotton or other rnop heads which are applied atthe outer end of the bail. In this mop, it is necessary only to releasethe'pressure on a clamp-ing member and to open the outer end of the mopfor this purpose. i

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, this mop comprises aone-piece bail of heavy wire or bar stock which is bent to form a U-bendor a loop 12 intermediate its ends with parallel portions 14 at thesides of the loop and connected portions 16 extending angularly outwardfrom the ends of the parallel portions 14. At the outer ends of theangularly extending connected portions 16 are parallel sides 18, oneterminating in a substantially closed reverse loop 20' and the otherterminating in a reversely bent open hook 22.

At the outer end of the bail is a cross bar 24 preferably channel-shapedin cross section having a hole 26 in the bottom 'wall of the channel ateach end. At one end the hole 26 is engaged by the substantially closedloop 20 and at the other end, the hole 26 is adapted to be looselyengaged by the open hook 22.

With this construction, the cross bar may be covered with the two outerextremities of the bail but it may be easily disengaged from one end andmoved to open position beyond the end of the bail for admitting andremoving a mop head of cotton or other material.

Within the bail is a clamping head 28 preferably comprising two similarmetal sheets 30 secured together in opposite relation, each sheetforming the head having ICC an outer rim 32. curved at the ends 34 andtogether forming a groove 36 for seating the ends of the loop 20 and thehook 22 as well as the cross bar 24 and for engaging the parallel sides18 of the bail for free sliding movement. The plates of the clampinghead are preferably formed with embossed portions 38 and 40 tostrengthen the plates and may be formed with perforations 42 on one sidehaving bent tongues 44 which engage the perforations 42 of the otherside, thereby clamping the plates tightly together, or the plates may bespotwelded together at the positions of the perforations or at otherlocations throughout the plates to bind them tightly together in a wellknown manner.

Centrally of each plate is an opening 46 through the plate with anoutwardly rounded embossed portion 48 extending to the inner end of thehead and together forming a circular free passage to the openings 46 inthe plates. At the opposite side of the opening 46 is an embossedextension 50 forming a continuation of the passageway at the other sideof the opening 46.

In order to tightly clamp the loop 14 and to secure the mop to amopstick or handle 52, a sheet metal socket 54 comprising two similarclamping plates 56 are placed oppositely together, each plate having asemi-circular rounded portion 56 together with the other plate forming acircular recess 'for receiving the mopstick therein, the mopstick beingsecured tightly to both other plates 56 by a bolt or rivet 58.

Each socket plate 56 has embossed side grooves 60 conforming to theparallel side portions 14 of the bail 10 near the loop 12 and withangularly extending em,- bossed portions 62 continuing therefrom to seatthe connected portions 16 of the bail which extend at an angle to theportions 14. These plates are secured tightly together over the oppositesides of the loop and inner end or the bail by clamping the platestightly together with overlapping edge portions or by spot-welding theplates tightly together at indicated notches 64 and 66 and to the bailitself, thereby binding these parts in substantiallyintegral relation.The end of the loop 12 extends beyond the embossed portions 62 and needsno specially embossed portion for seating it as it is held tightlyin'place between the plates of the socket.

Extending centrally and longitudinally of each socket plate between theembossed portions 14 is an embossed portion 68 substantiallysemi-circular in cross section for seating a screw bar '70 which fitstightly within the opposite embossed portion 18 of the two plates 56 andis held tightly by engagement with the plates and by spotwelding atnotches 72 and 74, thereby binding the screw bar tightly in place with aportion thereof extending outwardly from the socket and between thesides of the bail into the opening in theclarnping head formed by theembossed portions 48 in the plates 30 ofv the head and the outerextremity of this screw bar also at times extend-. ing into the openingformed by the embossed portions 50- of the plates.

The inner portion of each plate 30 terminates in a straight edge 76 atright angles to the screw bar 70 and mounted-on the screw bar is a wingnut 78 adapted to engage the straight edge of the clamping head formoving it outwardly toward the outer end of the bail. To release theclamping head and move it inwardly, the wing nut 78 is manually threadedtoward the socket on the screw bar 70 which relieves the clamping headof any pressure therein. In assembly, socket plates 56 are placed onopposite sides of the looped end of the bail and secured in place byclamping or spot-welding, the clamping head is separately assembled byjoining the plates 30 and the clamping head is inserted between theparallel sides of the bail with the curved ends 34 engaging the parallelsides 18. The cross bar 24 may be hooked into en-.

gagement 'with the substantially closed loop 20 before or after theclamping plate is applied to the bail and the other end of the cross barmay be engaged with the open hook 26 as desired to insert or remove acotton mp head from between the outer rims 32 of the clamping head andthe cross bar 24! When the mopheads are inserted between the clampinghead and the cross bar; they are tightened in place by threading theWing nut 78 outwardly on its screw bar70 tightly pressing the inner endof the clamping head 'outwardly and the rims thereof into engagementwith the inserted mop heads. The mopsticks or handles 52 may be appliedat the factory where the mop is made or it may be separately appliedafter the mop is shipped to a dealer or customer.

With this construction, a rigid mop head mounting is produced which isnot likely to twist or get out of alignment in use. The bail is made ofone piece and the outer ends of the bail are secured together andagainst twisting by the double connection of the clamping head 28 andthe cross bar 24 which not only hold'the inserted mopheads tightly inplace, but also hold the ends of the bail against twisting or turningmovement. By making the hail of one piece and tightly locking theloop 12of the bail in socket members which are spot-welded or otherwise securedtightly together, the bail is firmly held by the handle and is notlikely to be disengaged therefrom.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in somedetail, it should be regarded as an illustration or example rather thanas a limitation or restriction of the invention, since various changesin the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A mop holder comprising a bail with an inner U- bend having parallelside portions, said bail having outer spaced parallel ends with angularoutward extensions from the outer ends of the parallel side portions tothe outer spaced parallel ends, one of the parallel ends hav-, ing aninwardly extending substantially closed loop and the other end having aninwardly turned hook, a cross piece with a hole at each end, one hole indetachable engagement with the substantially closed loop and the otherhole adapted to make a releasable connection with the hook, means forengaging the said inner U-bend of the bail and attaching a mop handlethereto, and a clamping head movable on the said parallel spaced outerends of the bail, the clamping head comprising an outer grooved portionwith sides for seating therein the cross bar and the inwardly extendingloop and hook of the ends of the bail and with end grooves for slidablyengaging the said parallel ends of the bail and means for moving theclamping head in the bail relative to the inner U-bend and said crosspiece.

2. A mop holder in accordance with claim 1, the said U-bend engagingmeans comprising plates secured together with embossed portions forminga socket bore extending between the plates from the inner edge thereof,the clamping head having a bore extending centrally between the bailends at the inner side of the head, a threaded bar secured in the socketbore and extending between the parallel ends of the bail into the boreformed in the clamping head, and a lock member movable on the threadedrod into engagement With the inner edge of the clamping head to move theclamping head outwardly in the bail.

3. A mop holder comprising a one-piece bail of heavy 'wire formedintermediate its ends with an inner U-bend having parallel sides, saidbail having outward angular portions extending from the parallel sidesand outer spaced parallel ends, one of the ends having an inwardlyextending substantially closed loop and the other having an inwardlyturned open book, a cross piece having holes at its ends, one holeengaged with the hook and the other engageable with the loop so thatwhen it is disengaged from the hook, it is turnable about and stillengages the said loop at the other end, a socket comprising parallelplates engaging the said inner bail U-bend at the sides of the parallelportions and at the inner end of the said angular extensions, a threadedfastening rod secured between the plates and extending centrallyoutwardly within the outer parallel ends of the bail and said plateshaving enlarged recess portions for receiving a mop handle, meansbinding the socket plates together and tightly engaging the handle, thebail and the threaded rod in place, and a clamping head comprising agrooved portion at its outer edge for seating the cross piece thereinand the grooved portion extending at the sides of the clamping head toslidably engage the outer parallel ends of the bail for relativemovement of the clamping head thereon, the inner edge of the clampinghead having a flat abutment and an open bore extending inwardly from theedge of the flat abutment, the outer end of the threaded rod extendingfreely within the bore, and clamping means threaded on the rod andmovable against the abutment surface of the clamping head to press itoutwardly in the bail and to engage a mophead between the outer groovededge of the clamping head and the cross piece when the latter engagesthe said loop and the book ends of the bail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,267,398 Gavin May 28, 1918 1,401,051 Dalton Dec. 20, 1921 1,551,804Dalton Sept. 1, 1925 1,802,949 Kootz Apr. 28, 1931 1,968,622 a SmithJuly 31, 1934 2,005,904 Myers June 25, 1935 2,103,565 Tarbox Dec. 28,1937 2,692,403 Friar Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 488,619 Italy Dec.29, 1953

